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SallyNabil
Reviews
Sukkar banat (2007)
interesting but shallow movie
i watched this movie last night, it's a sweet movie presenting a very expressive picture comprising a lot of good elements: lighting, colors, music and of course acting. the movie takes place in a beauty salon where we meet 4 of our main 5 heroines, they work as hairdressers and spend most of the time together so we come to see their high and low moments. in a near by tailoring shop lives the fifth heroine, a lady in her fifties together with her funny, a little bit, crazy mom.
each of the 5 heroines has her own story which gives an example for a wider range of Lebanese women. we've a girl who's about to get married but lost her virginity and finally finds a solution in a surgery, another who desperately dreams of becoming an actress and relentlessly seeks casting tests, she also stands at the gates of old age but tries to fool herself and others by pretending to belong to a younger category. besides, there is another homosexual girl , whose appearance, attitude tells of her sexual orientation. yet we just see a covert indication of a mutual admiration between her and one of the salon's clients. may be if she found a true love in her life she wouldn't have gone that way, who knows.
then comes my favorite character in the movie which is the old dressmaker who finds a chance, may be her final chance, for love with one of her male clients. as usual, she hesitates to take the chance. this reaction emphasizes the Arab world's attitude towards old women, those past 50. the society harshly denies ladies of this category their right to love , to take the last train for happiness before life comes to an end , it imprisons them within the memories of the past and monotony of the present.
finally comes the character played by the actress/director/scriptwriter Nadine Labky. Layal is the leader of the salon team and falls in love with a married man. on the other hand, there's the policeman who works in the street where her salon is located and has a crush on her. yet, she is so involved in her relationship with that married guy, who seems not to care much about her, that she fails to notice the one who really cares.
I find Nadine to be the best actress of the whole group with her oriental features and deep eyes. as a director, she managed , together with the music and the lighting, to create an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy - that of a girlish world filled with laughs, tears , happiness and pain. besides the movie shows the wonderful unity and coexistence between people from various religious and social backgrounds.
however, i find Nadine the writer not as good as the actress or director. the movie could have been much much deeper and more effective. i believe the seeds of each character were well sown but they weren't given the suitable circumstances to grow maturely. the movie is sweet but shallow when it comes to character building.
Cast Away (2000)
a masterpiece for hanks and zemeckis
it's not my first time to see this movie but it's been a long time since i last saw it, so i found myself, this time, pondering over the high spiritual meanings in this zemeckis masterpiece and decided to share my thoughts with you.
the idea that obsessed me after watching the movie is the spiritual aspect versus the physical one i.e spiritual loneliness versus physical/real one. the movie is inspired by Daniel Defoe's "robinson Crusoe", where the hero goes through a tough spiritual trial on an isolated island for 20 years, an experience which embodies the maxim of "necessity is the mother of invention".
tom hanks is an employee at Fed Ex, he goes on a business trip to deliver some parcels, unfortunately the plane crashes, he miraculously survives but is thrown on an isolated island for four years. on the island he begins to search for every means to survive both spiritual and physical death. he manages to make a house, a fishing net, to light fire and finally make a boat that would take to the middle of the sea where he can find rescue.
but the movie can't just be summarized in those few words it is the battle of man against the wildness of nature and the harshness of isolation. furthermore, it is man's journey inside himself, the hero discovered his abilities and re figured his true self when he was stuck in a situation where he can't find any hand. he was a strong person who didn't give up to the difficulties surrounding him everywhere. he rather managed to maintain hope, even if it is fake, find himself a source of consolation to overcome his loneliness and fill this void, emptiness, vacuum ...etc, he , thus, invented the character of "wilson", kept communicating with the picture of his beloved. i think,otherwise, he would have gone mad.
when hanks goes back to his comfortable,civil life and joins his old community i felt that, may be, he is more lonely than he was on the island, then come the final scene to confirm my feelings. he is standing all alone at a crossroad not knowing which direction to follow or who to go to.
Robert zemeckis did an excellent job in this unique movie. the shot sizes, the camera movement, the transitions, every visual element in the picture was perfect. the cinematography was also great especially the water scenes, the lighting was so convenient for the setting of the events.
on the other side, tom hanks controlled this movie from the beginning to the end; though he scarcely spoke throughout the movie his performance was outstanding in addition to the physical effort he exerted in many scenes. it was very intelligent to make him lose a lot of weight, since he stayed four years on the island eating only crabs and coconuts.
i remember the scene when hanks kept switching the lighter on and off several times after he came home, which sharply contrasts with the suffering he has gone through to light fire on the island. as for the final scene between Helen hunt and hanks, i found hunt so cold, just didn't like her.
to cut it short, the movie was a masterpiece
The Polar Express (2004)
a movie to be remembered
the movie addresses the child in each of us, not to mention the perpetual desire for adventure . it opens the gates of the fantasy world on Christmas eve where our little heroes pass through fantastic adventures that can never be found in reality. it takes you in a breathtaking journey full of excitement, anticipation , surprise and a little bit of fear where the characters come to rediscover themselves and find the best in them.
the movie , which is narrated through the eyes of a child , manages to create the atmosphere of the fairy tale , it captures the Christmas spirit of innocence, happiness , reconciliation and peace where nobody can be treated as a recluse or left to suffer loneliness on this holy night. it highlights the sense of collectivity and above all faith or "belief" in the better which is yet to come. one of my favourite parts was the presents factory, i like that feeling of being showered with gifts - this is a main feature of Christmas.
the animation together with the visual and audio effects in the movie were superb. i've watched the making of the movie, with tom hanks putting sensors all around his body to copy every detail of his performance on the conductor's character. the idea of making an animated copy of hanks is really great. besides, zemeckis together with his crew tried their best to give a human texture to the cartoon characters as much as possible, and they succeeded to a great extent. apart from the characters, the whole setting was incredibly real.
the soundtrack contributed to the Christmas atmosphere which wrapped the whole movie particularly the final song "believe" since it is performed by my favourite singer "josh groban" and carries an important moral message to both adults and children.
Sister Act (1992)
a great movie with a great message
***this comment may contain spoilers*** One of the main points i liked in this movie is the idea of bringing the public back to the church by developing some changes that modernize old theological rituals and traditions without affect the core of religion. Deloris, the night club singer, seeks refuge at a convent escaping from some criminals. At first she thinks that she is completely in the wrong place but after wards it appears to be that fate has sent her a gift, allowing her to be of real importance to other people and add new meaning to their lives.
Being a singer Deloris inspires a new spirit or revolutionizes the choir's traditional performance and manages to get the prayers out of the church walls to reach the public. Religion has to be part of the people's everyday life and not just a routine ritual performed in the church.
the casting of the movie was great on top of them comes Whoopy Goldberg and Maggie Smith in additions to all other actresses who portrayed the nuns
It Had to Be You (2000)
may be one day you can meet Mr. right
***THIS COMMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*** an interesting movie about a coincidence that turns 2 persons plans upside down and tests their ability to make the right decision at the right moment. both Anna and Charlie meet each other while they were preparing to getting married to 2 other people, each of them realizes that he/she has found his/her soul mate. so, they have to make up their mind before it is too late.
may be the idea is not new but the beauty of the movie is not in "what" it is tackling but "how" it has tackled its subject. this movie, to a great extent, succeeds in creating an amazing romantic atmosphere that fills you with hope that one day you may find Mr. right.
Natasha (Anna) and Michael (Charlie) had good chemistry with each other and so did the supporting actor and actress playing their best friends. a true friend is a true advice and an ability to share one's moments of happiness and grief.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
a journey through the human self
THIS COMMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
i was surprised when i knew that it was Matt Damon and Ben Afflick who wrote this deep movie especially when discovering that Matt was just 27 and Ben 25 at that time. how were they able to dissect the human psyche in this brilliant, subtle way at such an age? Will Hunting is a psychologically disturbed guy who has been severely abused during his childhood and thus decides to take a defensive, aggressive approach towards every body outside the small circle of his closest friends. Will is a real genius in science yet his sense of loneliness, fear and emotional deprivation doesn't allow him to make use of this heavenly gift. he repels people out fear of going through more sufferings, of discovering that they are not up to his expectations, of being stabbed or deserted by somebody he becomes attached to. Will translates his anger into a series of hostile acts which reflect an unconscious desire of revenge against those who tortured him as a kid.
yet things seem to take a different course when professor Gerald Lambeau discovers Will's brilliance and decides to put him on the road of fame and success, an attempt the boy strongly resists because he doesn't have the will, stability, and strength that help him choose the route he wants to follow.
through psychological therapy sessions which Gerald arranges for Will, (Sean) the shrink succeeds in uncovering Will's old, untreated wounds giving him the courage to derive his judgments out of real experience noting that "nobody is perfect". Sean gained Will's confidence through open-heart talks away from the traditional patient-doctor relation. i felt some similarity between both characters, i don't know why. may be because both of them suffered in childhood or because Sean was satisfied with doing what he wanted to do, regardless of what others think of him, and tries to help Will reach the same satisfaction. may be Sean is not as famous as Gerald but he is in peace with himself.
i liked the part when Will asks Sean "didn't u think of remarrying ?" "My wife is dead," Sean keeps repeating- it is an emphasis of that idea of a "soulmate".
i liked Ben Afflick's part as Will's true friend. he urges him to go and pursue his career though they may never meet again. Afflick feels that Will he is a different guy,he has got a talent that should not be wasted in trivialities. in brief,he is a true friend.
the acting in this movie was superb Damon, Williams were the most shining stars yet the whole cast was great. two scenes i liked most: firstly,when Sean takes Will to sit by a lake and starts talking to him about the importance of going through experience. secondly. the climax scene when Will bursts into tears in Seans arms, it a moment of catharsis and relief.
the movie is a search for one's true self and a quest for man's ability to overcome his past sufferings and look forward for a new tomorrow.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
interesting but very idealistic
a very romantic, touching movie talking about a love story that fits the Shakespearean age when people used to depend more on their intuition and the whispers of their heart rather than actual facts and the calculations of mind and logic.
the relationship or let's say the would-be relationship presented in the movie is based on a soul contact transmitted, unintentionally, through the radio waves from a lonely man to a woman who suddenly tells herself "what if he is my other perfect half", "what if he is the love of my life" ? actually, though appealing to a large number of people, this idea doesn't seem very convincing to me. yet, i firmly believe in this concept of "the other half" i.e that every person has a partner who is perfectly made to fit him/her. but to keep thinking of a man and start pursuing him just because of hearing his voice once on the radio (i take into consideration that he was romantically speaking about his late life partner)seems to be unrealistic exaggeration. can this instant chemistry that happens between 2 persons once they see each other occur audibly?
i believe this movie is just an earlier version of "you've got a mail" but i find the latter more convincing and down-to-earth though not lacking this extreme coincidence.
but when we come to discuss the visual language presented in the movie we find that all the participants did a great job. hanks and Ryan have a very strong chemistry that casts its influence on the whole movie. though there are some similarities between "sleepless in Seattle" and "you've got a mail" both of them manage to create different characters in each movie. Rosie O'Donnell was incredible humorous and she was in great harmony with Ryan.
the constant allusion to "an affair to remember" was put just in place. on one hand it shows the sharp distinction bet men's and women's attitude to life in general and love in particular, among different generations- either kids, middle-aged, or elderly people. on the other hand there are some points in common between this classic romantic movie and the modern one.
finally, Ephron, this great director, managed to present to romantic movie fans a beautiful visual poem (settings,lighting, songs, actors everything. hanks'house surrounded by water was a very good choice,it shows his emotional approach towards life, it is a little bit secluded from today's materialistic world.
Blood Diamond (2006)
great movie discussing global issue
this comment may contain spoilers
a great movie tackling a global human issue which is a result of the financial and industrial activities of the world's superpowers. Leonardo Di Caprio (archer) is a white south African who is involved in diamond smuggling and seems to be indifferent to the hell going around in Serra Leon and further agitated by countries making benefit from this fatal illegitimate trade. he comes to Serra Leon to finish a deal but is unfortunately caught and in prison he hears of Vandi (Hounsou) who has got a big rose priceless diamond.
archer decides to convince Vandi to guide him to the place where he has buried his diamond in return for reuniting him with his family after being shattered because of the civil war between the government and the rebels. this is the story in brief but there is much more in the movie to be noticed.
firstly, we know that smuggled diamond is part of the legal diamond trade and that the united states controls two thirds of this trade. traders are keen on keeping the civil war in Serra Leon going on to hold a firmer grip on the diamond resources in the torn country on one hand, and out of fear of the rebels who will pour large amounts of diamond into the world markets-if they ruled the country- thus lowering its price and causing companies unimaginable losses, on the other. wars are, therefore, military activities guided by economic motives in the first place. there is a very important sentence in the movie that sums up the sufferings of this African nation "thousands of people are paying their lives for diamonds they've never had".
the movie talks about another very important issue which is recruiting children. children are brainwashed,after being kidnapped,and instructed to be obedient slaves. they are robbed of their innocence and trained to commit the most evil vices. there are 200,000 children soldiers in Africa.
archer and Vandi set off in journey to find the rose diamond together with Jennifer Connelly the journalist who spent a large part of her life in different war zones trying to search for justice.
in this journey we come to know a lot about each of the three. archer's parents were ruthlessly killed in the civil war where his mother was raped and his father was beheaded, may be this is the main cause of his feverish desire to collect the hugest possible amount of money and leave the whole continent for good.
Connelly is seeking documents and evidence that prove the involvement of major companies in the smuggling of blood diamond. she manages to get documented information from archer about the blood diamond trade that will help her reveal the truth to the whole world.
archer has a closer look at the sufferings of civilians through the tragedy of Vandi's family- his wife and daughters at the refugee camp (and he meets them in a very touching scene)and his son kidnapped by the rebels. Vandi is ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of being reunited with his family, he is the total opposite of archer. so this interaction has left its impact on each of them.
in a very short scene archer is walking in Serra Leon with prostitutes gathered around him and one of them saying "no HIV", this is also an important point because large numbers of women, especially in Africa, have fallen into the clutches of slavery and aids out of poverty. they are the most vulnerable to be infected with sex-transferred diseases.
there some questions that came into my mind after the movie concerning archer's character, did he give Connelly the required information just to get her help to reach the diamond? could he have given the diamond to Vandi if he wasn't shot? in brief, was he really changed at the end of the movie ? Leo and Hounsou were both excellent, Connelly made the best out of her role. the violence scenes were very real, though i don't know to what extent computer graphics has intervened.
the part following the mountain scene at the end served as an anticlimax to the story yet i liked the scene in which Vandi goes to testify about the bitterness of the internal strife in his country. he comes to be the voice of the weak,fragile, oppressed part of the world to which no one listens or cares to know about. he goes into the room with the African music in his ears emphasizing his high sense of belonging.
The Majestic (2001)
a new face for carry
this comment may contain spoilers
actually i didn't like Jim Carey as a comedian actor and movies like the mask and "dumb and dumber" didn't even make laugh. yet here he managed to prove that he is a well-established actor who can shoulder a responsibility of a great romantic drama. here we see another face of Carey, a beautiful face which he has rarely used throughout his career. actually he has done himself a great injustice by wasting his talent in moves like the previously mentioned ones which mainly depend on some exaggerated facial expressions and body movements. yet it is not CareY alone who excelled in his role but so was martin landau in harry and above all frank darabont who managed to create an atmosphere of intimacy and warmth that used to characterize small communities at that time strong emotions that bond all the residents of the town including the mayor who represents the authority, thanks to a number of excellent actors. i liked the committee scene as it is meant to be a reminder of the importance of public opinion as a source of stress that could put things back on the right track. the committee didn't accuse him for fear of making him a martyr before the public. Carey was gorgeous especially when he said that the America Luke died defending is not the America they are living in today because by such witch-hunt America is robbed of one of its great merits which is democracy and freedom of conviction and he starts reading out one of the articles of the American constitution with tears suffocating his voice and a state of disorder and mess controlling the hall (it was a very significant hint from both the writer and director). besides i was also affected by the idea of the old theater and what it represented to harry and the whole town and linking its re-innovation to the rebirth of this town through Luke's return